Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 55 Old Friends!
Liu Zhiyuan, Liu Zhiyuan.
Zhou Yi remained calm, silently repeating the words several times in his mind, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.

He slightly raised his head to look at the yellow ox tied up outside the teahouse.

At this time,

My heart suddenly started racing!

Liu Zhiyuan, with books hanging from ox horns—could it be him?!

As Zhou Yi's thoughts raced, he braced himself against the thatched grass behind him and got up, preparing to make an escape to urinate.

however,
A hand reached out from the side and gently tugged at his trouser leg.

Liu Zhiyuan frowned slightly and gently advised, "Young Master Zhou, there are large tigers outside. Do not go out into the wilderness at night."

Look at that!

He looked around and said, "Even these chivalrous figures from the martial world dare not wander around recklessly."

Zhou Yi hesitated slightly, but then realized that the pulling force on his trouser leg had not lessened, so he had no choice but to return to his original seat.

At this moment, he was already cursing this hypocrite to the core.

But his expression remained unchanged, and he tried to say:

“Brother Liu, since there’s a tiger, it’s too dangerous to leave your ox tied up outside. I’ll go and help you bring it inside.”

"It doesn't matter."

Liu Zhiyuan lowered his eyes to the campfire: "If the tiger comes, it will eat cattle to fill its belly and will not harm people."

Zhou Yi keenly sensed a change in the other party's expression; his previously tired and droopy eyes suddenly revealed a sharp edge.

No, we can't rush it.

This guy is highly skilled in martial arts; let's keep him calm for now.

Zhou Yi then feigned sudden realization: "Brother Liu, you are truly virtuous!"

Feigning a lean against the haystack, his mind raced, and he turned to face the middle-aged scholar, his expression earnest:

"Brother Liu, although this is our first meeting, our brief conversation has given me an inexplicable sense of familiarity."

"It felt like meeting an old friend in a foreign land."

Liu Zhiyuan straightened his back slightly: "Young Master Zhou's words are exactly what I think!"

Zhou Yi sighed with emotion:
"When I travel the world, I have countless drinking buddies, but only two or three are truly confidants."

"After hearing Brother Liu's words today, I am deeply moved. The thoughts and reflections I had during this short trip by oxcart have surpassed those of the previous years."

"Many extraordinary people in the world are hidden in the city or countryside. I imagine Brother Liu must be one of them."

“If Brother Liu does not mind, I would like to become sworn brothers with you.”

A glimmer of light appeared on Liu Zhiyuan's tired face. "Young Master Zhou, you flatter me. This is my good fortune."

Zhou Yi was not joking.

He solemnly took out two exquisite short blades from his bosom, which were treasures from Emperor Ding's treasure chest.

They originally planned to sell the goods in the city when they ran out of money, but now they're using this as a delaying tactic.

Liu Zhiyuan looked down.

As the campfire flickered, two short blades lay on Zhou Yi's palms.

The blade is nine inches long, with serrations all over the back, yet it has been polished smooth as a mirror.

Near the handle is inlaid pigeon blood stone, which, when reflected in the campfire, looks as if dripping blood.

What's even more ingenious is that the two short blades are exactly the same, with the two blades joined together and the serrations facing each other, just like a pair of exquisite scissors.

He was a connoisseur and knew that these two short blades were no ordinary items.

"This blade is forged from black iron, hence it often gleams with a cold, eerie light. Years ago, a strange man from Kunlun Mountain was down on his luck in the Central Plains and nearly lost his life when he encountered bandits. I saved his life and that's why I gifted him this precious blade."

"I feel like I've known Brother Liu for a long time."

He paused, then handed the short blade in his left palm to Liu Zhiyuan.

"Only when you and I each wield a blade can true friendship be revealed."

Liu Zhiyuan was slightly taken aback, but did not refuse, and stroked the precious blade with great care.

However, Zhou Yi couldn't see the hint of doubt and wariness hidden in his eyes when he lowered his head.

"Hey, what merit or ability does Liu possess?"

He shook his head and sighed, then his expression hardened: "If I refuse now, it would be disrespectful to my brother."

"I'll accept this precious blade. Tomorrow, please come with me to my house for some local village wine."

Zhou Yi cupped his hands in greeting and smiled broadly: "How could I possibly refuse?"

A night breeze blew by, and with the help of the wind god, the pine wood in the campfire crackled and popped.

Liu Zhiyuan looked up at the moon and suddenly repeated his admonition: "With the moon dark and the wind high, tigers are bound to come out. Brother Zhou, you must not go out."

"That's for sure. Brother Liu, you should get some rest too."

Zhou Yi leaned back against the thatch, lay down diagonally, and closed his eyes to rest.

The night is getting darker.

About half an hour later, he quietly opened his closed eyes a crack.

Liu Zhiyuan was right beside him.

He didn't sleep; by the dim light of the campfire, he was reading half a tattered scroll of a book.

He would occasionally glance in Zhou Yi's direction out of the corner of his eye.

Another half hour passed, and the night wind grew stronger.

Zhou Yi peeked out from his dozing, noticing that most of the martial arts figures around him were sound asleep, leaning against haystacks. One of them was snoring loudly, disturbing the peace of the others who were tossing and turning in their sleep.

Liu Zhiyuan was still reading.

Zhou Yi closed his eyes again, thinking to himself:
If he suddenly bursts out of the teahouse at this moment, will he be able to escape?

If one uses their full lightness skill, there should be a chance.

However, his statement about the large insects outside was a clear indication of what was going on.

It's estimated that quite a few people are lying in ambush.

If you rush out and get stopped, the situation will be completely different.

At the moment, this guy's attitude was relatively mild, so I drew a precious blade to calm him down, which was a way of showing weakness and easing tensions.

The worst-case scenario is that I go with him to drink some village wine; my life won't be in trouble.

Well, it's best to play along for now and not break off relations with him.

Zhou Yi made up his mind, and then began to wonder about his purpose.

In this chaotic world, where people's hearts are treacherous, not just anyone can survive.

If I had known this would happen, I should have headed straight for Nanyang without looking back.

Another day of thinking about Nanyang Dalongtou.

Before he could finish his thought, a sudden gust of cold wind blew in.

There was a strange noise in the distance, which startled several roosting crows into flight!

Liu Zhiyuan, who had been reading, suddenly hid the book in his bosom, leaned back, closed his eyes, and pretended to be fast asleep.

"Whoosh!"

Zhou Yi squinted and saw an old man wearing a coarse cloth cloak leap into the teahouse from outside.

Upon closer inspection, the person looked very familiar.

Old Ma!

Who else could it be but Ma Shouyi, the leader of the Hunyuan School?

This old man is here too.

However, Zhou Yi was full of confidence at this moment. He could fight, and he was an expert at running away. He was not afraid of this old acquaintance at all.

Ma Shouyi was highly skilled in light-footed martial arts; he entered with minimal disturbance.

Many of the martial arts practitioners who were fast asleep were unaware that Ma Shouyi had arrived, while those who were awake peeked out but paid no attention.

Ma Shouyi scanned the inside of the shed.

Then, his eyes met the slit, focusing intently on Zhou Yi's direction.

A look of confusion and complexity appeared in his cloudy old eyes. He glanced at Zhou Yi's side again, then took three or four steps toward Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi secretly gathered his strength, ready to take action.

suddenly,

Old Ma seemed to have discovered something.

He took a quick step, his cloak billowing, and jumped out of the teahouse courtyard.

No sooner had Ma Shouyi left than another eerie black figure landed on its feet and leaped into the room!

This person's agility far surpassed that of Ma Shouyi; the sound of him landing was barely perceptible.

He exuded a sinister aura, with a tall crown on his head and a large pair of iron scissors on his back. He had just performed a zombie jump, and with his hooked nose, deep-set eyes, and deathly expression, he looked exactly like a zombie that roamed at night!
Those martial arts practitioners who weren't asleep, seeing his ghostly appearance, didn't care whether their breathing was disordered or not, and all pretended to be asleep.

Zhou Yi's heart jumped into his throat.

Ding Dashan!

Oh no.

He activated his Zen meditation to suppress all his emotions.

At this time, one is without desire or ambition, and reveals no flaws.

He quickly touched the other precious blade in his arms, wishing he could stuff it into Liu Zhiyuan's arms as well.

He gripped the precious blade tightly, afraid that it might accidentally fall off his body.

That would be a really big joke.

Emperor Ding's movements were very strange. He jumped around in the teahouse, sometimes near and sometimes far, but only made a faint sound.

He carefully observed everyone in the tea stall.

Especially those in white.

Look at the clothes first, then look at the body shape.

Zhou Yi also noticed that Old Man Ding was staring at those martial arts figures dressed in white for a long time.

It seems they are looking for the person who raided his hideout that night.

Okay
To be on the safe side, he had already changed into a blue robe in Shangcai.
……

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(End of this chapter)